The present invention relates to a filter housing that is closed by a lockable lid and to a method for opening or closing such a filter housing.
Many different configurations of housing closures of this type are known in the art. The filter housing disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,312 (=DE 195 46 440), in which a filter element is inserted and which can be tightly closed with a lid, is just one example among many. A recess on the lid on the housing side forms an annular collar, which communicates with the cylindrical opening of the housing. Along the edge area of the lid, the lid is clamped and fixed to the housing by screws. A disadvantage of this solution is that the internal threads in the housing and the screw holes in the lid are expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, additional screws are required, which are loose parts and as such can be lost during installation or dropped into the interior of the housing. The installation of the screwed connection is particularly time-consuming because housing closures of this type are often located in places that are difficult to access. As a result, extra space must be provided for mounting the lid in these difficult-to-access places.